Tabitha's POV
"Tabitha, don't you find it strange that although you've been Luna of the Black Thorn Pack for years, you've never met Alpha Derek's parents?" asked Zola.
I nodded, feeling puzzled.
She continued, "The root of all the mess is that Alpha Derek's mother, Andrea, isn't Ambrose's fated mate. Word is, Ambrose found his true mate later on but couldn't just reject his Luna. Meanwhile, Andrea resorted to shady means to bear his pup.
"She thought she could win Ambrose back as long as she was pregnant with his kid. But instead, Ambrose grew even more disgusted with her and ended up taking care of his side piece who was also pregnant."
Hearing this drama made my heart sink like someone was poking at an old wound I didn't know I had.
"What happened next?" I wondered.
"Andrea had always despised that woman. After being cold-shouldered by Ambrose for so long and dealing with pregnancy hormones messing with her head, she fell into a deep depression.
"However, she still tried her best to hold it together for the sake of her pup. On the day of delivery, she and that woman both went into labor early. And Ambrose chose to rush toward that woman instead of her."
With a loud crash, the bowl I was holding slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor, splattering soup everywhere.
"Oh, my gosh. Luna, what's going on? Did you get burned?"
Zola rushed over with some paper towels to clean up the mess on my feet.
I had a moment of confusion like someone had ripped open an old scar in my heart that hadn't healed yet.
Blood seemed to drip from somewhere deep inside me.
I looked down at my feet, my brows knitted.
What was happening to me?
This was someone else's story. Why did it feel so personal?
I shook my head, trying to regain my composure. "I am fine. What happened to them later?"
Zola threw away the paper towel. After making sure I was okay, she sat back down and continued, "That became Andrea's biggest scar. She seemed like a completely different person after giving birth.
"Tabitha, as a woman, you know how terrifying postpartum depression can be. She's quite pitiful, actually. Is loving someone really such a crime? She deserves to be treated better.
"Anyway, she took out all her anger on Alpha Derek. And she became irritable, showing signs of self-harm or hurting others."
Zola sighed heavily. "I heard Alpha Derek was born premature and went straight into an incubator after birth. When he was finally allowed to come out and brought to Andrea, she just threw him to the ground as soon as she saw him. If Luna Erin hadn't reacted quickly enough, Alpha Derek would've been done for right then."
"He's her son. How could she?!" I couldn't believe my ears.
"Yeah, Andrea had severe postpartum depression at that time. So Luna Erin had no choice but to separate her from Alpha Derek and take care of him herself with the help of a nanny.
"Alpha Derek was precocious from childhood, and he wanted to be close to his mother. Thus, on his third birthday, Andrea, having been receiving treatment for a few years and looking no different from a normal person, was allowed to meet Alpha Derek.
"Yet, to everyone's surprise, she suddenly flipped out and tried to jump off the building holding Alpha Derek when no one was watching."
Upon hearing this, I felt heartbroken—Derek was only three back then, yet he had to go through all that!
"Did it really happen?"
"Fortunately, the villa only had two floors. They fell from the second floor, and there was a lawn below. Alpha Derek only got a minor leg injury. It just needed about six months to recover. Since then, Luna Erin wouldn't let him near Andrea anymore.
"Andrea's life is both pitiful and pathetic. It's sad yet infuriating how many times she's lashed out at Alpha Derek when he was so little and didn't do anything wrong..."
Zola's face showed genuine sympathy as she went on, "So, don't judge Alpha Derek by his cold personality. He was born into a family where neither parent cared about him. Even Luna Erin who treated him well passed away. In fact, he's been through hell. You're all he has left now. You're not just his mate but also his family. So please make sure you treat him right."